Tag Archives: brooklyn

Here at S’well, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t fill our bottles with a cold beer every once and awhile. After all, our bottles are the perfect solution for keeping beer at just the right temperature and carbonated. And boy, do we enjoy an ice cold brewskie on a sunny Spring day. In celebration of National Beer Day, we took the liberty of compiling a list of our favorite beer gardens & breweries in the city. Prost!

In case you didn’t know, Radegast is all the rage. And why wouldn’t it be? Located in Williamsburg with a retractable roof and plenty of communal tables, it’s safe to assume that this beloved beer hall is always packed. The venue offers everything you’d expect and more: 22 beers on tap, 50+ bottled beers from around the world, sausage, and pretzels with their infamous beer cheese. Tables are on a first come, first served basis so be sure to get there early to grab a seat and enjoy some live jazz.

Located under the highline in the Meatpacking District, the Standard Biergarten is one of New York’s trendiest beer halls. Needless to say, this is a place to see and be seen – day or night. Typically glass-enclosed during the winter months, the space transforms into an open-air patio during the warmer Spring and Summer months. Cash in for beer tickets to get a glass as big as your head before you hit the ping pong tables. Bonus: the bartenders are dressed in mock lederhosen.

Ever since its founding in 1988, Brooklyn Brewery has been charged with making some of the best beer in NYC. In addition to actually producing their own beer, the brewery also offers tastings and tours of their facility throughout the week. Weekends are the best times to hit this must-try spot. But remember to come early, as lines typically start forming an hour before the doors open. Learn more about tours and tasting hours here.

As the oldest and one of the largest beer gardens in New York, Bohemian Hall continues to be one of the city’s best spots. Located in Astoria, the garden offers endless rows of picnic tables beneath canopied trees for all your socializing pleasures. There’s plenty of variety of both domestic and European brews, all offered at $6 pints and $16 pitchers.

Last but not least, Spritzenhaus. Another sprawling Brooklyn beer hall located just off of McCarren park. With over 100 beers on tap and a varied menu with endless sauce choices, Spritzenhaus is a must. At 6,000 square feet, the building offers a variety of amenities including a wood-burning fireplace for the cold, open windows for when it’s warm and swanky bathroom sinks with a pedal push feature.

Oscar weekend is upon us and we are rolling out all the movie hacks and watch-party essentials that you’ll need to be prepared for this year’s red carpet. There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the 2016 awards season (see inappropriate swag bags and lack of diversity on the ballot), but it’s still scheduled to be a blow out and everyone’s dying to know, will Leo finally walk away with a win?

Avoid peak times – Go to screenings during off times to avoid noisy and crowded theaters. Foot traffic is typically the slowest in the mornings or anytime on Mondays through Wednesdays. The busiest times fall on the weekend, usually from 2 until 11 PM.

Find the best prices – Seek out smaller theaters (i.e. not AMC) for cheaper ticket prices. Here in New York, some of our favorite spots include Nitehawk Cinema, Landmark Sunshine Cinema, and Angelika Film Center. Most theaters also run special promotions or discounts on social media so make sure to check online before making any purchases.

Get the best seat – Seating is key. For the best sound in the theater, sit two-thirds of the way back. Center seats are obviously ideal, but they put you at risk of losing the seat in front of you as a foot rest. Opt for seats on the side to ensure more of a buffer zone for your lounging pleasures.

Cozy up – Bring a blanket to keep warm in the chilly theater air.

Bring snacks – If you’re like us, then snacks are essential when watching movies. Movie theaters may provide tasty and tempting options but bringing your own s’weets can be a cheaper and and more rewarding alternative. They don’t offer freshly baked cookies at the theater!

Bring a S’well full of wine – If there’s only one thing that you take away from this blog, it needs to be this: our 25oz S’well Bottle holds an entire bottle of wine, which means you can sneak your favorite Pinot in to practically anywhere. Bring your S’well to share and enjoy wine throughout an entire feature film.

Once you’re caught up on all of the Oscar buzz, it’s time to start prepping for the actual award show. The Oscars are set to air Sunday, February 28th at 8:30 PM EST. Call up all of your film buff and celebrity-obsessed friends to gather around for Hollywood’s hottest night. In an attempt to really embrace the star-studded experience, we compiled a list of tips for hosting or attending an Oscars watch party.

Tune into the red carpet – The red carpet opens at 7PM EST. Tune in early to scope out your favorite actors and to see what they’re wearing. E! Live from the Red Carpet is great for gauging best and worst dressed.

Prepare snacks ahead of time – Like we said earlier, snacks are essential so it’s important to plan ahead. Stop by the grocery store to grab necessities like cookie dough, popcorn, and M&Ms. Check out our Pinterest page for appetizer and finger food ideas. If you’re feeling less than motivated, order-in. Award shows go great with a side of Thai food.

Skip the commercials – If you don’t suffer from fear-of-missing-out, record the show and wait 30-45 minutes until after the official air time before starting. You can skip through the majority of the commercials until it’s finally time for the good stuff (e.g. Award for Best Picture).

Get social – One of the best parts of awards shows is seeing what everyone else has to say about it online. Twitter and Snapchat are typically the best platforms to get live feedback of what’s going on in real time. We’ll be up and running on both – follow us @swellbottle.

Supply the S’well – If you’re attending an Oscars watch party, don’t come empty handed. Bring a S’well full of wine to ensure that your beverage stays at just the right temperature all night long. If you’re hosting, it’s safe to say that you should do the same.

Play a drinking game – Create your own fun and make up an Oscars drinking game. Try taking a sip every time someone’s acceptance speech is awkwardly interrupted by the transition music. Then, add in your own rules.

Don’t forget to follow us on Snapchat (@swellbottle) for coverage of our very own Oscars watch party.

This week, S’well joined forces with 826NYC to volunteer at their Brooklyn location. 826NYC is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to improving and expanding the creative writing skills of NYC students. They achieve this through workshops, tutoring, field trips, and much more. S’well was very grateful to be a part of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” workshop, where we helped schoolchildren to create their own adventure book. Since everyday at S’well has been an adventure, we were very excited to create these books!

Katie is helping the kids to create their own adventure story

Charlie and Lana hard at work

Veronica is inspiring young artists

Joyce is putting her excellent typing skills to work

S’well loves stories!

After a fun writing session, we decided that we would check out the fabulous Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store connected to the 826NYC classroom. There they had capes, secret identity kits, and even devillainizers. S’well’s favorite gadget was the cape tester, where we showed off our best superhero moves in the greatest superhero gear.

D is working the cape tester

Charlie is enjoying his new cape

S’well lives by the superhero honor code

The S’well team is in their favorite capes

This was a fulfilling experience, and we would like to thank all of the other volunteers and staff who make 826NYC possible!